Recent searches
Search options
What is your preferred mode of transportation for a trip of 500 km (~300 mi)?
Most of the comments are, "I want to want to take the train, but I don't."
I'm train by default. This distance is also pretty tractable by our electric car. It's not great by plane.
Many people in the US responded that the train system there isn't good, so they wouldn't use it.
I am mixed about the results, as before.
The question doesn't ask about travelling in any particular place, nor about travelling from your home.
I may specify that in the future.
I also find the idea of what your preference would be in counterfactual universes a little hard to grasp.
A lot of the responses said things about how if the train system near them were faster, more frequent, more convenient, etc. they would prefer it.
It is a strange kind of discussion.
We could come up with counterfactuals on any mode of transportation that would eventually make it preferred.
Why would it be worthwhile to talk about preferences for imaginary transportation systems, then?
@evan I don't think it's so much counterfactual as people thinking "that time I traveled to a civilized country and took a train, it was the best 300 mile trip of my life, but I live in the USA where trains are considered socialist demon vehicles and thus impractical for such a trip"
That being said, I took the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner down the coast of CA once and it was great (although comically, unbelievably slow).